Ten Years: Prologue
by ambiguousfigurine
Summary: Right where Elizabeth, Barbossa, and Jack are left off in At World's End. This is a prologue to my other story "Ten Years." Both were written before On Stranger Tides. Please review!
1. Everyone Craves Rum

_On an island in a southern part of the sea, shortly after Will Turner leaves Elizabeth_…_._

The Flying Dutchman was gone. Although both newlyweds had attempted to make the seconds before their doomed fate last as long as possible, the Dutchman did inevitably disappear into the horizon for what would be another ten years. Elizabeth felt as if it would not reappear for another eternity. Ten years seemed unbearable, and she did not see how she would be able to live through it.

Elizabeth hugged the giant treasure chest in her arms as tightly as she could and sunk into the warm, sandy ground. She wondered how the simple noise of a heartbeat could be so comforting and yet so agonizing to listen to at the same time. Grief rested on her like a heavy blanket, but she didn't dare take it off just yet. The thoughts that came to her from thinking about him and listening to his heartbeat brought pain and sadness, yet his love enveloped around her as his heart continued on in its mantra. _Thump-thump, thump-thump._

She wouldn't be able to see or touch him for another ten years. His warm smile and sweet eyes looking into hers would become but a memory. His rough hands accompanied by his light touch would not be felt. She could still feel the memory of him on her, comforting her and loving her with every ounce of energy he had left. She knew that the memory of it would soon fade. The full realization of this caused her to breathe irregularly. Despite wishing to suppress her feelings for as long as she could, Elizabeth cried slowly and silently under the sound of the soft waves. She wanted to be strong. She didn't want to be a weak, helpless woman. Although Elizabeth thought that she was stronger than this, she wasn't. She couldn't be.

Elizabeth knew that everything would soon be forgotten. Both her and Will would forget how it feels to love someone and be near them at the same time. They would instead becoming familiar with the pains of separation and regret. Both would not feel comfort from the one they love for another ten years.

Elizabeth's soft cries turned into agonizing sobs as she watched the horizon. She despised this fate. Her cursed life was something that no one should have to suffer through, and Elizabeth felt like she would never be able to bear it. She looked away from the horizon that tortured her mind and delicately placed the chest back on the rocks. Elizabeth thought back to the words he had spoken to her and felt like she could still hear him despite them now being miles apart.

_"It always belonged to you."_

She knew this. She had always known this. At times this truth was wonderful, and at other times it seemed to be torturous. Their lives had changed at an incredibly quick pace, and the hardships they had to endure both together and apart changed everything they had ever known. These hardships bonded them together, yet it often made them feel like complete strangers. It confused them both, and Elizabeth was still not confident in her feelings. She knew that Will's heart belonged to her, but she was unsure if her's completely belonged to him. Elizabeth could recall questioning him on numerous occasions, and she wondered if he had ever truly known her. They seemed to both surprise each other quite frequently.

When the proposal happened, Elizabeth thought they would be dead within minutes anyway. Their previous attempt at marriage had been interrupted by an arrest, and their final wedding well may have been interrupted by their death at sea. It seemed fitting, and so they got married then and there. He died, and she did not. Although he was still alive in a way, it would never be the same. Elizabeth of course didn't want him to be dead, but why did it have to happen this way? Elizabeth could not seem to decide which was worse: a death that was certain or a disappearance that was not. She would only see him for less than a total week of the rest of her life. Will would not age, but Elizabeth would gradually get older and older until she was gone.

Although it was ten years away, Elizabeth was nervous for their next meeting. It would most likely be awkward and strange. Both of them would be unfamiliar to the other, and neither of them would know what to say or how to say it after ten long years.

Elizabeth's thoughts shifted to what she was going to do. Staying on this practically deserted island watching a horizon did not sound like the most ideal plan to her. Living in adventure had become the norm, and waiting around romantically for her rescuer to return from sea sounded incredibly boring, but Elizabeth seemed to have no choice. The Black Pearl, which included Barbossa and Jack, had left her.

"Perhaps Jack left some rum on this island," Elizabeth thought to herself with a sigh.

_Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean_…

Captain Jack Sparrow didn't know where he was going. His compass wasn't working, his rum was gone, and there was no undead monkey to shoot anymore. On top of everything, the boat, if you could even call it that, had sprung yet another leak.

With a tired look in his eyes, kohl smeared and eyelids mostly closed, Jack flipped open the compass one more time.

"I know what I want. I know what I want. I know. What. I want," he muttered to himself, hoping that he was not lying this time.

It spun, spun, and spun. Jack's eyebrows raised up hopefully when the arrow landed on one spot only to be disappointed again when the arrow landed on another. It went back and forth hopelessly and endlessly.

Letting out a slight growl, Jack got up to open the sail again, wanting to head back to where he had just left.

"Perhaps I'll get some more rum there," he muttered to himself with a grunt.

_Somewhere else in the Atlantic_…

Captain Barbossa was furious. He did not know how he could he have been so foolish, and he regretted not watching Jack Sparrow more closely. There was no point in going anywhere if they didn't know where the Fountain of Youth was, and now that Jack had the map, their quest was hopeless. Barbossa knew that he needed to find him but didn't know where he could have gone to. Jack had most likely left Tortuga already, but someone had to know where he was.

Barbossa glanced over the horizon, suddenly coming up with his solution: Elizabeth would know where Jack would be, and no other person had ever been able to make Sparrow do things better than her. Besides, Barbossa had helped Elizabeth get married. She had to help him. All he had to do was get her off of that island. Hopefully she was all right. Barbossa hoped that she was not angry at him and Jack for leaving her there.

"Persuasion is the key," Barbossa thought to himself. "Eternal Youth would make young Mrs. Turner very happy."

Barbossa continued to steer the Pearl. If he had been looking out at the horizon behind him, he would have spotted a man wearing a tricorne hat bailing out water from a small boat in the far distance.

"Now where's me rum gone to?" Barbossa muttered to himself as he furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin.


	2. Where's Jack?

Elizabeth awoke to the sound of Ragetti and Pintel arguing with one another. Opening her eyes and lifting her head slightly from the sandy shore, Elizabeth got a glimpse of them walking towards her. The Black Pearl could be seen in the distance, anchors lowered.

"Stop rubbing it!" Pintel told Ragetti, who was indeed rubbing his wooden eye fiercely. "Yer gonna get splinters!"

"Can't help it," Ragetti responded, trying to hold back the tears that were caused by the harsh rubbing. "Need a glass one, I do."

"We'll get ya one soon." Pintel reassured him.

"Promise?" Ragetti asked hopefully.

"Promise," Pintel optimistically said.

"Good," he replied with a lighter tone in his voice.

"Oh, 'ello, poppet!" Ragetti said with a casual tone as they got closer to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth quickly marched over to Ragetti and furiously slapped him hard against the cheek. He held his jawbone as Elizabeth yelled at him.

"Why did you leave? The Captain _did _realize that I was stuck here until another ship came by, did he not?" she paused, waiting for an answer that didn't come. "Well?"

"We was just ordered to get ye on the ship. 'S not like _we _had a choice in the matter," Pintel said with an annoyed tone in his voice. Why they wanted this bossy little woman on their ship once again he didn't know. Pintel pointed behind him to the shoreline to indicate the rowboat that had been shoved into the wet sand.

"Alright," Elizabeth muttered, releasing her sword from the dense sand beside her and attaching it back to her side. "Let's go then."

"It seems that there is no other way to escape this island," Elizabeth thought to herself. "I will most likely leave them once I get the chance. I'll get a job, perhaps join a crew to keep myself busy. I might even fulfill my duties at Shipwreck Cove if there are any. I'm willing to do anything but follow Barbossa and Jack around on their selfish adventures."

Elizabeth was unsure of her responsibilities as King of the Brethren Court. She thought that she may have only been elected for that one incident, but perhaps not. What Elizabeth really wished for was to never have to vote among the Court ever again. Nothing can ever be resolved among pirates it seemed. Either Jack or Barbossa would know if anything was required of her.

"I'll leave once I find out," Elizabeth thought, reassuring herself that she would not return. Facing Jack again would be incredibly difficult, and she would rather not face it. The last expression he had given her was forever branded in Elizabeth's mind. That slight smirk on his lips had tried to not show the emotions he knew she could clearly see. Elizabeth saw all of the sadness and regret that Jack had from his past on his face, and he knew that she saw it.

To anyone else, Jack's facial expressions looked smug and confident. The confidence was that of Captain Jack Sparrow the Legend. Nothing could touch him, not even death. Jack was never known to let down his guard with anyone. For some reason however, he had made a mistake when it came to Elizabeth. She was given the privilege of seeing the man who feared everything, especially death, and regretted much of his life. Captain Jack Sparrow's legend was a lie, and he had told her so. She knew of his weaknesses more than anyone else ever had.

With Pintel rowing, Elizabeth sat in silence as she looked over to the sandy shoreline she had left behind. It held memories for her and Will that would be branded in their lives forever, and whether they wanted those memories to be joyful or depressing was up to them. Although the thoughts of him not returning for another ten years haunted her, Elizabeth attempted to brush off the reminders as best she could.

With a light sigh, Elizabeth turned her head back to look at the Pearl getting closer now. Barbossa was watching them row back, his frizzed brown hair blowing in the wind. From what Elizabeth could tell, Jack was nowhere to be seen on the ship.

When they finally got to the Pearl, Elizabeth climbed aboard and marched over to Barbossa. She glared at his calm face fiercely.

"Why did you leave me stranded there?" Elizabeth asked him angrily. "Did you honestly think I wanted to stay there for ten years? Perhaps become fond of living in solitude?" Barbossa's facial expression didn't dare change.

With a sigh, Elizabeth closed her eyes and massaged her forehead. "Where's Jack?" she asked with her eyes still closed, leaning against the ship's railing.

"I was about 'ter ask the same question as a matter of fact," Barbossa said as if the conversation was simply pleasant small talk to him.

Elizabeth's eyes quickly opened and she dropped her hands. "You mean to tell me that he's not here?"

"No…" Barbossa replied.

"And you don't know where he is?"

"No…" he said again with a slightly lighter tone, his eyebrows raised as he looked down at the young woman.

Elizabeth saw her advantage in the situation. "Why shouldI tell you where he is?" she asked him.

"Oh, so I see you do know of his location!" Barbossa said, smiling.

"I might be able to figure it," she responded, leaning against the rail again. "But why should I help you?"

"Ah," Barbossa sighed, "I see. You want something even after I rescue you," he pitifully said, as if the "rescuing" had required a long and unbearable journey.

"May I remind you that it was _you _who left me there in the first place?" Elizabeth said as she got even more angry at the situations Barbossa had continuously put her in.

"True, true," he paused, leaning into her face. "Well, miss. We have found a way to live."

"I believe breathing does the trick," Elizabeth responded sarcastically as she became tired at Barbossa's drawn out tales.

"What I'm getting to is that we have found a way to live forever. There is more than one way, you know." He paused when Elizabeth leaned towards the outer edge of the ship and looked out longingly at the horizon. Barbossa leaned into her and whispered in Elizabeth's ear.

"The Fountain of Youth."

"And?" she muttered, refusing to take her eyes off of the edge of the world.

"You can, of course, have a share of it. Think about it, miss. Will's powers as captain of the Flying Dutchman include living forever. You could be the same as him. Eternal." Elizabeth gave in a quick breath, realizing what he had just said.

"Eternal youth," Elizabeth thought to herself. "Mine for the taking."

She paused to think about what Barbossa had just told her, finally saying "What has this got to do with Jack?"

"Alas, he has taken the map. No map, no way to find it," Barbossa regretfully informed her. He despised himself for being such an idiot when it came to Jack. He should have known that this would have happened. "We made port in Tortuga for a day to pack supplies and such, and Jack went off to get drunk and meet up with a few wenches, I'm sure. I decided to leave while he was still in the pub and Gibbs was sleeping. Never thought he would've taken the map. Should have thought so, but did not."

Elizabeth didn't speak for a moment, weighing her options. Finally, she made her decision to at least help Barbossa. She certainly didn't want to be stuck on the island anymore. "He's still in Tortuga," she said.

Barbossa scoffed at this, turning around so his back was turned. "Would've left already."

"I suppose you have a better option, Captain?" Elizabeth said mockingly. "Is that your title now that Jack's gone?" Elizabeth crossed her arms and walked in front of him so that she faced him head on. "At least it would be a start to look there," Elizabeth stated as she walked away from Barbossa and towards the door that lead to the lower deck. Turning around at the last minute with a smug look on her face, Elizabeth yelled at Barbossa loudly over the wind, "Besides, Jack would have drunk all of his rum and wasted away all his money by now, wouldn't he?" With that, she slammed the door behind her.


	3. Tortuga

_In Tortuga…_

Jack swaggered into the tavern and was given somewhat of a greeting from the ones who recognized him. Nodding slightly, he sat next to the large counter and ordered a bottle of rum. Having not consumed any alcohol for about two days, Jack gulped it down quickly and ordered another. Receiving two coins, the large bar maiden looked up at Jack and recognized him.

"Well, if it ain't da famous Jack Sparrow."

"_Captain _Jack Sparrow," he mumbled, looking down at his half empty bottle. He was getting tired of correcting everyone.

"Ah, but where's ya ship, den?" she asked, leaning on the counter and blinking violently at him.

Scowling and taking another swig of the rum, Jack muttered "I'm in the market, as it were."

"Ye seem ter always be sayin' dat, _Captain._" She replied with a spit.

He took another long drink of the rum, glaring at her. These women always seemed to get into his business. They were desperate for gossip to bring around the next day. On top of that, all of them had the most annoying voices Jack had ever heard.

"Is there a room here I can have?" he asked her, getting annoyed at her flirtatious attempts.

"How much ye got?"

Jack pulled out a small bag of gold. The bar maiden gave him a skeptical look, raising her eyebrows and cocking her head to the side.

"It's all I got!" he argued to her silence. "I swear!" Still, he received the same stare.

Rolling his eyes, Jack mumbled something rude about her and reluctantly pulled out another bag.

Smiling contently, the woman took the bags in one hand and pointed up the stairs behind her with the other.

"Second door ter da left. Should keep ya happy." She winked at his suggestively only to get Jack's dark eyelids and a shaking head in response.

"No women sent up there, ya hear me?" he told her, pointing accusingly. "None."

Walking up the creaky stairs, she heard him mumble to himself, "Had enough women to last my _life_."

Shaking her head and drying a dirty glass with a dirty wash rag, she spoke to another man, "Captain Jack Sparrow not wantin' _women_? Now dat… dat a first." Nodding in drunken agreement, the man took another swig as they both heard the slam of a door above them.

_One week later…_

Barbossa and Elizabeth stepped off the Black Pearl and onto the port of Tortuga.

Looking around, Elizabeth commented, "Well, it took us long enough." Glaring at Barbossa, she continued, "we could have easily avoided that storm if you would have simply listened to me."

"It was the quickest way…" he began to argue.

"…but it turned out the _longest _way," Elizabeth retorted.

"The point is that we're here!" Avoiding any more of her snarky remarks, Barbossa walked onto the land. Elizabeth followed close behind.

"Where should we look first?" she spoke loudly over the whoops, hollers, and guns being fired all around.

"May I remind you that this was yer idea," he replied. "You should be telling mewhere we're looking."

Elizabeth glanced around at all of the taverns. Every single place appeared to be the same to her. She looked up at all of the old, faded signs and finally found one that seemed to satisfy her: _Tavern - Drink, Food, & Rooms._

"How about here?" Elizabeth suggested.

Barbossa rolled his eyes. There were about twelve other pubs with almost the exact same sign. "Okay then," he doubtfully agreed.

Noticing his lack of enthusiasm for her ideas, Elizabeth replied, "Well, someone in there is bound to know if he is at least still in Tortuga." She began to walk towards the tavern, attempting to be confident in her decision. Once Barbossa was out of earshot, Elizabeth muttered to herself, "Someone has got to."

Elizabeth found the place rowdy and loud upon opening the doors. It was not unlike the scene outside. Walking over to the counter, Elizabeth spoke to a large woman attempting to wipe the surface down with a dirty rag.

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth shouted as politely as she could.

The bar maiden looked up when addressed.

Elizabeth continued, "We were wondering if you've seen a man by the name of Sparrow around here lately."

The woman crossed her arms and adjusted her hips as she stared Elizabeth down.

"I migh've." Smirking, she added, "It'll cost ya, d'ough."

Reaching from behind Elizabeth, Barbossa placed a small bag of coins on the counter in front of them.

Snatching the bag quickly and jingling it next to her ear, the bar maiden smiled and pointed to the stairs.

"Second door ter da left. Hasn't come out 'cept fer rum an' food. Won't even let a damn womanin!" she turned around and started muttering to herself, rearranging the rum bottles as she did so.

Turning to face Barbossa, Elizabeth casually leaned against the counter and raised her eyebrows.

"You can thank me anytime," she said boastfully, waving her hand back as if awaiting applause.

Barbossa glared at her, grabbed Elizabeth by the wrist, and forcefully pulled her up the stairs in search of the man who stole his map.


	4. Update

**A/N: This story along with the original "Ten Years" have both been newly edited and revised after almost four years of being abandoned. There are some grammatical mistakes that I'm already noticing, but I wanted to put them back up on the top so that people could see them. I may actually get back to the story if I have enough time on my hands. **


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